WHO Aiming For 20% Of Africa To Get Initial COVID Jabs From Access Plan

NAIROBI (Reuters) – The World Health Organization wants to secure an initial 230 million doses of any COVID-19 vaccine for Africa, officials said Thursday, while emphasising that any vaccine in development should also be tested on the continent.

The global vaccine allocation plan, called COVAX, aims to help buy and fairly distribute deliver 2 billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021.

“This … (initial batch) will cover 20% of the African population, initially prioritising those who are the front line, health care workers, then expanding to cover vulnerable groups,” Richard Mihigo, the programme area manager for WHO Africa, told an online news conference.

The scheme has nine COVID-19 vaccine candidates covering a range of technologies and scientific approaches. Some are in late-stage clinical trials and could have data available by year-end.

Only two of the potential COVID-19 vaccines are being tested in Africa, said Richard Hatchett, chief